let's bring in our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen. that defies what a lot of people have thought in the past. what's the significance of this research? why is this? >> a lot of women and even some doctors think, hey, just take off the whole breast. a lot of doctors in the know will tell you, wait a minute. when someone's early stage breast cancer, stage one or stage two, lumpectomy plus radiation is the way to go. this study seems to support that. it suggests, it doesn't prove -- i don't want to use the p word. it suggests that having a lumpectomy and radiation is just as good or perhaps even a little better than having a mastectomy. >> i have a million more questions for you. i think the best thing would be for people -- you always say this -- ask your doctor first, right, elizabeth? >> ask your doctor what the options are. i've talked to so many women who have breast cancer and the doctor says let's do this. i say, well, did you ask him what other things you can do? there's almost always more than one option. if someone says i want